Forming apparatus



Nov. 3, 1925.

F. E. MORRIS FORMING APPARATUS Zl-a W/TN ESSES'.

ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 3 1925. 1,559,729

F. E. MORRIS FORMING APPARATUS Filed March l0. 3.922 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 llt': I

j U 75 Z159 76 i all INK I I W JNVENTOR. WITNESSES.- Hun/ E. laz'zis,

@w y i I ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 3 1925.

F. E. MORRIS FORMING APPARATUS Filed March 10. 1922 3 Sheefcs-Sheet 5 FI G'ZI I 52 l l I L w/TNEk-SE 129 :125 v 126 JNVBNTORS:

fhwk E. A1770111736,

Patented Nov. 3, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT LoFi-ica FRANK E. MORRIS, or RHILADRLPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIGNoR or oNE- HALE '.ro

JOHN C. BERGNER, F LAN SDOWNE, PENNSYLVANIA.

FORMING APPARATUS.

Application led March 10, 1922. Serial No. 542,629.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that'v I, FRANK E. MORRIS,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadel- I phia and State of Pennsylvania, have 1nvented certain new and useful Improvements in Forming Apparatus, whereof the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to formingapparatus for products of plastic material such as dough and the like, especially, doughnuts or ciullers, etc.; and the invention is particularly concerned with the production of ll such articles by extrusion. Besides forming the articles accurately and regularly, even in the usual hollow or annular configuration of ordinary crullers or doughnuts, I aim to produce them rapidly and con- I0 veniently, with minimum labor and expense,

and of uniformly good quality and appearance. I also aim to make the operation of the forming apparatus flexibly and conveniently regulable, as regards both size of product and rate of production. I further aim to provide for recharging of the apparatus from time to time as easily and quickly as possible, and likewise for easily cleaning it whenever desirable. 80 How these and various other objects and advantages may be attained in connection with my invention will appear from my description hereinafter of the best apparatus embodying the invention known to me.

In the drawings, Fig. I is a vertical sectional view of a doughnut cooker equipped with forming apparatus conveniently embodying my inventiom-the section being so taken as to reveal most of the principal 0 parts and mechanisms.

Fig. II is a plan view of the cooking receptacle and certain associated parts and mechanisms, various overlying parts being broken away andremoved about as ,indicated by the section line II-II in Fig. I.

Fig. III isa vertical mid-sectional view through the doughnut-forming means.

Fig. IV is a fragmentary view at right angles to Fig. III partly in section as indicated by the line IV--IV in Fig. III, illustrating the mounting of one of the die members shown in Fig. III.

Fig. V is a fragmentary view from beneath, partly in section as .indicated by the I doughnuts.

line V-V in Fi III, illustrating the same point as Fig. I

Fig.` VI shows a longitudinal mid-section through a pressure regulating device for controlling the size of the doughnuts.

Fig. VII is a front elevation of the regulator, from the right of Fig. VI.

The cooking apparatus here'illustrated is of the general type and construction recently marketed by the name Display doughnut machine, under license from myself and John C. Bergner (and forming the subject of patent applications filed by him,

including Serial No. 542,614 filed March 10,

1922, concurrently with this application -now Patent No. 1,492,542), so that no very extended description thereof is necessary.

. The machine or apparatus shown in Figs. I and II comprises a receptacle structure 1 with an annular trough-like vessel 2 for cooking liquor; apparatus 3 over said vessel for forming and introducing raw doughnuts; a rotating carrier 4 with radial vanes or engagement members 5 for progressing thel doughnuts in the liquor during cooking; and additional manipulating means, comprehensively indicated at 6, whereby the fully cooked doughnuts' are ultimately dischargedor ejected from the cooking liquor and from the machine. As best shown Ain Fig. II, the uniformly spaced carrier vanes 5 radiate from an inner ring 7, and are additionally interconnected at mid-length, by circumferential webs 8; so that as a whole the carrier 4 affords two concentric rows of cooking cells for the individual The carrier 4 is rotatably mounted and centered on the inner wall portion 9 of the annular liquor trough or channel 2, on an annular bearing shoulder 10 about `mid-height of said inner wall. Doughnuts are initially introduced into the inner cells in succession, by the former 3, at the station A, and are progressed around the vessel 2 by the vanes 5.' They are then transferred to the radially adjacent vouter cells at the station 13, and at thesame time inverted, by the suitably stationed manipulating means 6, and are again progressed around the vessel 2 before being finally ejected by such manipulating means 6 at the station C. In the bottom of the trough 2, beneath the multi-cellular carrier 4, are a series of concentric heating coils 12, for heating the cooking liquor as required.

'lhere is a framework 13 for supporting the receptacle structure 1, the forming apparatus 3, and various associated parts, and

also an enclosure 14 which serves to confine fumes arising from the hot liquor, and to enclose and protect the parts and mechanisms beneath the receptacle. As shown, the framework 13 comprises tubular supporting uprights or standards 15 -ranged around the vessel 2, and cross-bracing frames 16, 17, 18, connecting them above and below the receptacle. In the upper enclosure wall or roof 19 (which rests and is screwed fast on the top cross-frame 16) is an exit 20 with a discharge conduit 21 for carrying off fumes; and in one of the side walls 22 is an opening 23 for discharge of cooked doughnuts to a subjacent delivery chute 24. In the cooking compartment or chamber of the enclosure 14, over the vessel 2, is a liquor reserve reservoir 25 with a pet cock 26 by means of which the supply in the vessel 2 may be replenishedf-either periodically, or continuously, at a rate regulated in correspondence with the rate of loss by evaporation, etc. The reservoir 25 being thus exposed to the hot fumes and the heat of the liquor in the vessel 2, the reserve supply is always kept liquid (if it is a grease solid or thick when cold), and hot enough to obviate undesirable chilling of the liquor in the vessel by it.

Referring, now, to Figs. I, II, III` IV, and V, it will be seen that the doughnut forming apparatus?) shown comprises a cylindrical dough magazine or hopper 30, and a forming device proper 3l, of an extruding type, taking dough therefrom. In the present instance, the magazine 3() removably mounted in a double-walled cylindrical receiver 33, shown as having an external top flange 34. The receiver 33 is mounted or bolted in and beneath a downward flanged opening 35 `in the enclosure roof 19 and the cross-frame 16; and the former 31 is removably seated at o1 in a shouldered opening 36 in the receiver bottom, and probottom and sides, the receiver 33 has an interlining of heat insulating material 37 (such as asbestos) that serves to thermally insulate the magazine and protect the dough therein from overheating by the fumes, etc., in the upper or cooking comy partment of the enclosure 14. The magazine 30 is removable upward from the receiver 33 through the roof opening 35, and has in its own bottom an outlet 38 for co-operation with and connection to the former intake 39,-which latter extends through the receiver bottom opening 36. As shown, the magazine outlet 38 has a conical neck` and the former intake has a conically flared opening or seat to receive it. The Weight of the magazine 30 and its contents being supported largely or entirely by its conical neck 38, a tight joint of the latter with the intake 39 is insured. Any ydrippings of dough when the magazine 30 is being removed are caught by a flanged annular guard enlargement 40 that extends upward and outward from and around the upper end of the intake 39 and the magazine outlet 38.

In order that the dough may be fed from the magazine 30 to the former 31 and extruded from the latter by compressed air, the magazine is provided with a cover 44, held in place by a clamp screw in a yoke 46, whose ends take under an external top ring or flange 47 on the magazine, and is made air-tight by an inset resilient gasket 48 (as of rubber) whose sealing face is recessed or grooved to receive an upstanding annular shoulder 49 on the ring 47. Compressed air (supplied through an air line 50 as hereinafter described) is admitted to the magazine 3() through the nipple 51 screwed into the cover 44 and the flexible ressure tubing or hose 52 detachably connected thereto. The flexibility of the hose 52, however, allows the cover 44 to be removed from the magazine 30 for replenishment of the latter with dough without detachment of the air line 5() from the cover. )Vhen the cover 44- is to be removed, air pressure can be shut ofi' from the hose connection 52 by means of a sto) valve In order to prevent agitation o the dough by the air, and to assure more even feeding, a light dished inner cover 44a, fitting loosely in the magazine 30, may be kept on top of the mass of dough.

As a means of feeding and extruding the dough, air pressure presents the importantadvantage over many mechanical means of feeding that it obviates agitation or working of the dough, which tends (if very intense or prolonged) to toughen the dough and the doughnuts ultimately produced from it.

The forming device 31 shown in Figs. I,

charge element or body 55, whose external Shoulder 56 rests on the shoulder of the receiver opening 36, and whose enlarged upper end forms the intake 39,-'and also c0- axial circular sleeve and disk die elements 57 and 58, which are relatively movable to open or close the annular die outlet at the lower end of the tube 55. The body is normally held in place b v engagement of bayonet pins 60 thereon beneath the edges of the receiver opening 36, but can be released for removal b v turning it to bring said pins into alignment 'with slots or grooves 61 located a. short distance from stop pins 62 on the bottom. The disk 57 is trudes downward therethrough. I At both, III, IV, and V, comprises a tubular dissuspended from a bridge structure 64 spanning the intake 39, by means of a central stem 65 whose reduced and threaded upper end screws into 'the rounded central Vstem .portion or boss 66 on the bridge 64; and thus the disk is. fixed in position, but` detachable for cleaning urposes, etc. The sleeve 57 slides up and) down (freely, but with a close lit) on the lower portion of the tube 55, which has narrow external circumferential bearing rid es 67. The lower edge of the sleeve 57 is a apted to telescope over the disk 58 with a .fairly close but easy fit, and is externally shearoff the extruded dough cleanly against the disk periphery. The clearances between tube 55 and sleeve 57 afforded by the ridges 67 not only minimize friction, but also tend to revent small amounts of dough from ac ing between the parts and therebv causing the sleeve-t0 stick. As shown in Fig.

` III, the disk 58 is sharpened with Aan upward bevel at its edge.

In order that the doughnuts may be correspondence and correlation with the succession of moving engagement members 5, the cutter sleeve 57 may be actuated in like manner; and thisy may preferably be done directly by the rotary carrier 4 itself. As shown in Figs. I, II,.and III, there is an actuating lever vfor the sleeve 57, comprising a double armed yoke 70 and a tappet arm 71 united by a rockshaft fulcrum 72,

u which is journalled in a bearing bracket 73 depending from the bottom of the receiver `33. The slotted or forked ends of the lever arms 70 engage .diametrically opposite pins 74 projecting froml a ridge' or band 75 on the cuttery sleeve 58,`l and the'detachable inclined and horizontal surfacedcam portion 76 of the arm 71 lies in the ath of upstand- ,ing studs 77 (with antiriction balls kin their ends) on thev vanes 5 of the carrier v4.

During movement of the carrier 4, it wipes past and actuates'the former arm 71, by vmeans of the studs 77, so as`to depress the cutter sleeve 57 over-the disk k58 very quickly each time, close the annular. die

opening, and sever the extruded annular l' doughformation. As the end of the cam' 7 6 trips pass each stud 77 the cutter sleeve 57 rises again very quickly, and reopens'the die outlet. The action ispsuch that. the formations are released to droplin horizontal position, so :is not to be deformed from their proper shape when they strike the liquor. Also, the interruption and resistance to flow of the dough incident to each cutting operation are very brief and slight, so that maxi-` mum capacity is secured. 1

As shown in Fig.l II, a raisedl annular segmental platform plate 78 i. (mounted on the trough wall 9) underliesthe ,station Al and the initial 90 (say) of the inner row bevel sharpened to cut or` formed, released, and introduced yin denite of cells, to prevent thelraw doughnuts from sinkin below thevanes 5 during the interval beg() partial cooking) to rise and float at the surface of the liquor.

The normal width of die opening may be varied and regulated by adjusting a screw 80 (with a lock nut81) threaded in a rearward extension 82 of the lever arm 71, and normally resting against a buffer seat 83 on the bottom of the receiver y33. As shown in Fig. I, a helical tension spring 84 con nected to the rear end of the arm extension 82 raises the cutter sleeve 57 practically instantaneously when the arm 7l dro s of each stud 77. The shock and vibration of the hammer blow transmitted to the die 57,

re they beco'me'buoyant enough (by- 58 from the impact of the screw 80 on the buffer 83 (which may be of leather or other suitable material) counteracts any tendency of the doughnuts to stick to the die elements after severance, and thus insures prompt,

clean doing. Operation of the former 31 tension; but by first lifting the' lever 85 from its notch and then shifting it sidewise clear ofthe bracket, it may be lowered so as to relax the spring completely. A

In order lto take the `formingdevice 31 apart after the dough magazine 30 has been removed from the receiver 33, it is convenient to relax the spring 84 as 'ust described. and allow the fork ended yo e arms 70 to swing downward until they clear andfdisengage the pins 74. This releases the cutter sleeve 57 and leaves it free to drop off the tubular element 55. The tubular element 55 may then be conveniently released and lifted from its seat in* the receiver 'aperture 36, and out through the roof opening 35. f

As shown in Figs. I and II, the former actuating studs 77 are screwed into socket holes 88 in the carrier vanes 5. By removing or omitting these studs 77 from any desired ones of the ,vanes 5, the forming apparatus 3 can be pro tanto left unactuated and Y rendered inact1've,.-so as not to deposit any doughnuts in the corresponding 1 carrier cells,-and the output lof the machine correspondingly reduced. For convenience in thus adjusting ,and varying the output, a

plurality of concentric rows orgroups of sockets 88 may be provided, as shown, so that they can be kept differently equipped with actuators 7 7, accordingto the different schedules of production to be maintained at different times.` This allows the rate of output to be changed very quickly, by simply shifting the cam piece 76 laterally from a position where it cooperates with one row of studs to one where it will cooperate with a different row. This shift-ing can be` made ver readily, by virtue of the screw or bolt an slot connections 89 between the cam piece 76 and the lever 71.

The manipulating means 4, 6 (by which the doughnuts are fed through the cooking apparatus) and the air pump or compressor 90 (by which air for feeding the dough is supplied) may be driven or actuvated by"a| common drive. As shown, power for this 'purpose is furnished by a prime mover 'such `as an electric motor 91 mountedy on the botreducing belt and pulley drive 97 from the motor 91 t0 said shaft 96. Through intermittent gearing 99, the shaft 93 drives an upright rotary transmission shaft 100; and thisshaft 100 extendsI up' through the midst of the receptacle 1 and is connected tov drive the carrier.4 bymeans of a double propeller arm member 101 fast on the upper end of said shaft 100 andengaging between lugs 102 on the carrier ring 7. The 'intermittent gearing 99 may be of any suitable characterf-,such as a wormelement 103 with pitchless portions interconnected by an inclined or pitched portion,

and a' coacting gear wheel or disk 104 whose teeth and notches correspond in number to the vanes 5 of the carrier 4. On the rear end of the shaft 93 is va generallyl oval cam 105 (with an overhung skirt or Harige portion106) that acts through a roller 107 on one arm of a lever 108'whose other arm is connected b'y a short link 109 with an up# right rody 110 mounted and guided for vertical reciprocation between pairs of grooved anti-,friction rollers 111 carried 4on one of the frame posts 15.l The rod 110 is connected by a bracket arm 112 and a rod 113 to 'a bracket 114 which carries-the grid-like transfer device 115 and the grid-like ejector device 116 ofthe manipulating means 6. l As willbe u derstood from Fig. lI, the devices 115 and)l 116 normally lie in a deep pocket portionof the trough 2, belowfthe'l path vofthe vanes 5, but are elevated through the superjacent carrier.'cellsduringthe intervalsof rest of the intermittently rotating carrierfl. `When vsc raised, the grids 115, 1116 are 4swung outward onv their pivots 117 in the' bracket 114 suiii'cientlyto trans-fer,

turn, and eject the doughnuts. This swing on the housing 128.

ing is effected by engagement of hooks 118 (pivoted to the grids' 115, 116 beyond their pivots 117) beneath the adjacent carrier web 8 and with a sto 119 .on the outer receptacle wall, respectively. As the bracket 114 descends again, the devices 115, 116 are quickly retracted by'helical tension springs 120 connected -between them and said bracket, l

lAs rshown in yFig. I, the cylinder of the air pump is pivoted to the frame 18 'at 121, and its piston rod 122 is connected to ai crank 123 faston the front end of the shaft 93. The pump 90 discharges through a tube 124 to an air storage and pressure equalizing reservoir 125, whence the line 50 (extending up through one of the posts 15) conveys air under pressure to the forming apparatus '3 via a regulator 126 and the flexible tubing4 52, etc.r

B y actuating the air supply means at 90 and the severing means at 31 (by which the die outlet from the container 30 is Aautomatically closed, and the dough extruded therefrom severed, periodically at regular intervals (from a common drive, as in the arrangement shown and described, the output of the pump is harmonized with the demand for air as affected by any variations in speed of the motor 91, for example.

As shown in Figs. VI and VII, the regulator 126 is of a bleed or constant .pressure relief valve (safetyvalve) type, compris- ,ing a conical valve 127 in a barrel housing 128. This valve 127 is continuallyA urged toward its rather' wide conical seat 129 by a helical compression spring 130, acting' between/the valve and a screw plug abutmentl l and guide 131 adjustable in the other end of the housing 128. The valve stem' 132 has longitudinal air passages 133134, the latter of which obviate formation of any air cushion in the bore of the guide 131. VVhenever the air pressure in the system becomes very slightly excessive, it forces the valve 127 'o its seat 129 and escapes through the ample vents 135, shown as' opening lthrough the-seat. pointer 136 on the plug 131 co-v' operates with a graduated scale segment 1 37 By a proper ad'ustment or` setting of the initial tension o the spring 130, thedevice can be made to maintain any desired constant pressure in the system, and the rate of extrusion of the dou h thus' varied an'dregulated very accu'- rate y, according to the size o f ldoughnuts desired, and irrespective of the rate of production to be maintained. A

A pressure gauge 138 connected toa fourway itting'139 through which the tube 52 an the device 126 are connected to the pipe line 5 0 affords a convenient indicationof the v air' presxu're actually existing in vthe-system,

'andapplied to the dough in the container 30, at any time.

As shown in Fig. I, the machinery in the compartment beneath the receptacle structure l is protected against objectionable heating from the latter and from the liquorheating means by interposition of a horizontal diaphragm extending across the enclosure lll'just below said structure l, and here shown as consisting of a metal plate 140 covered with a layer of thermo insulating material 141, such as asbestos, for example.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim l. Forming apparatus of the character described comprising a container With an annular die outlet and automatic means for closing said outlet at regular intervals and thereby shearing material extruded therefrom, in combination with means for applying air pressure to the material in said container, and for regulating the pressure so applied to control the size of the extrusions periodically severed as aforesaid.

2. Forming apparatus of the character described comprising a container with an annular die outlet and automatic means for shearing the material extruded therefrom at regular intervals, in combination with means for supplying air under pressure to said container, and bleed means .for `regulating and controlling the application of pressure to the material and the size of the extrusions periodically severed as aforesaid.

3. Forming apparatus of the character described comprising, in combination, a. container with an annular die outlet; means for periodically shearing the material extruded from said outlet; a compressed air system for applying pressure to the material in said container, including an air pump; means for actuating said pump and said severing means from a common drive; and bleed means for regulating vthe application of pressure to the material to control the size of the extrusions periodically severed as aforesaid.

4. Forming apparatus of the character described comprising a container With an annular die outlet; means operating exteriorly of said container for automatically closing said outlet at regular intervals and thereby shearing annular formations of material extruded therefrom; and means for applying air pressure to the material in said container, and-for regulating the pressure so applied to control the size of the extrusions Severed as aforesaid.`

5. Doughnut formingapparatus comprising a former, for producing the annular dough formations, a receiver with outlet to said doughnut former, and a removable dough magazine in said receiver having an outlet extending to the former through the receiver outlet.

6. Doughnut forming apparatus compris` ing a receiver with apertured bottom; a removable doughnut former at said aperture; and a removable dough magazine in said receiver having an outlet for cooperating With said former.

7. Doughnut forming apparatus comprising a receiver With apertured bottom; a removable doughnut former seated in and protruding through said aperture; and a separately removable dough magazine in said receiver for supplying said former.

8. Doughnut forming apparatus comprising a receiver with outlet to a doughnut former; a removable ldough magazine in said receiver having an outlet for'supplying the former through said receiver outlet; and means at and around said receiver outlet for catching drippings from the magazine outlet when the magazine is removed.

9. Doughnut forming apparatus comprising a receiver with apertured bottom; a removable dough magazine. in said receiver havingvan outlet for supplying a former; and a separately removable former seated in said aperture having its intake enlarged around the magazine outlet to catch drippings therefrom when the receiver lis removed.

10. Doughnut forming` apparatus comprising a cooking ychamber and a thermo insulated receiver therein with outlet to a doughnut former, and a dough magazine in said receiver having an outlet for supplying the former through the receiver outlet.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this 8th dayy of March 1922.

FRANK E. MORRIS. 

